An annotated paste buffer defines a first field for copied information, and a second field for source information relating to the copied information. A copy/paste mechanism in accordance with the preferred embodiments copies the information the user selects into the first field, and gathers the appropriate information relating to the source of the copied information into the second field in the annotated paste buffer. A user may set cut/copy preferences to determine what information is gathered from the source document and placed in the second field in the annotated paste buffer. In addition, a user may set paste preferences to determine which of the source information, if any, in the second field is incorporated into a citation to the source of the information when the information is pasted into another document. In this manner a user can determine what source information is gathered, and can separately filter this information to provide citations that are tailored to different applications.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; a paste buffer residing in the memory, the paste buffer including first and second fields; and a cut/copy mechanism residing in the memory that writes information selected by a user into the first field of the paste buffer, and that automatically collects and writes information relating to a source of the user-selected information in the second field of the paste buffer without further input from the user when the user-selected information is written to the first field.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information that the cut/copy mechanism writes to the second field is determined by at least one specified cut/copy preference.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a paste mechanism that inserts the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document, and that processes the information in the second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the cut/copy mechanism and the paste mechanism are different portions of the same copy/paste mechanism.
7. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; a paste buffer residing in the memory, the paste buffer including first and second fields; and a paste mechanism residing in the memory that inserts information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document, and that processes information in the second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
10. An apparatus comprising: a memory; a paste buffer residing in the memory, the paste buffer including first and second fields; means residing in the memory for copying information selected by a user into the first field in the paste buffer; and means for automatically collecting and writing information relating to a source of the user-selected information into the second field of the paste buffer without further input from the user when the user-selected information is copied into the first field of the paste buffer.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising: means for inserting the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document; means for processing the information in the second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
14. An apparatus comprising: a memory; a paste buffer residing in the memory, the paste buffer including first and second fields; means for inserting the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document; means for processing the information in the second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
17. A computer-implemented method for placing information into a paste buffer, the method comprising the steps of: copying information selected by a user into a first field in the paste buffer; and automatically collecting and writing information relating to a source of the user-selected information into a second field in the paste buffer without further input from the user when the user-selected information is copied into the first field of the paste buffer.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the information written to the second field in the paste buffer is determined by at least one specified cut/copy preference.
19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of: inserting the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document; processing the information in the second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
21. The method of claim 17 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
22. A computer-implemented method for using information stored in first and second fields in a paste buffer, the method comprising the steps of: inserting the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document; processing the information in the second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein the information stored in the second field of the paste buffer relates to a source for the information in the first field.
26. A program product comprising: a paste buffer that includes first and second fields; a cut/copy mechanism that writes information selected by a user into the first field of the paste buffer, and that automatically collects and writes information relating to a source of the user-selected information in the second field of the paste buffer without further input from the user when the user-selected information is written to the first field; and recordable type media bearing the paste buffer and the cut/copy mechanism.
27. The program product of claim 26 wherein the information that the cut/copy mechanism writes to the second field is determined by at least one specified cut/copy preference.
28. The program product of claim 26 further comprising a paste mechanism on the recordable type media that inserts the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document, and that processes the information in the second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field.
29. The program product of claim 28 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
30. The program product of claim 28 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
31. The program product of claim 28 wherein the cut/copy mechanism and the paste mechanism are different portions of the same copy/paste mechanism.
32. A program product comprising: a cut/copy mechanism that writes information selected by a user into a first field in a paste buffer, and that automatically collects and writes information relating to a source of the user-selected information in a second field in the paste buffer without further input from the user when the user-selected information is written to the first field; and recordable type media bearing the cut/copy mechanism.
33. A program product comprising: a paste mechanism that inserts information in a first field of a paste buffer into a document, and that processes information in a second field of the paste buffer to determine whether or not to automatically create a citation according to at least one specified paste preference, and if so, automatically creating a citation in the document that includes information from the second field; and recordable type media bearing the paste mechanism.
34. The program product of claim 33 wherein the citation comprises a parenthetical citation that is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document.
35. The program product of claim 33 wherein the citation comprises a footnote citation comprising a footnote reference number and footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
36. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; a paste buffer residing in the memory, the paste buffer including first and second fields; and a paste mechanism that inserts the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document; and an automatic footnote generator that processes the information in the second field of the paste buffer and automatically creates therefrom a footnote in the document that includes information from the second field, wherein the footnote comprises a footnote reference number and corresponding footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the corresponding footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
37. A computer-implemented method for using information stored in first and second fields in a paste buffer, the method comprising the steps of: inserting the information in the first field of the paste buffer into a document; and automatically creating from the information in the second field of the paste buffer a footnote in the document, wherein the footnote comprises a footnote reference number and corresponding footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the corresponding footnote text is placed in a different location in the document.
38. A program product comprising: a paste mechanism that inserts information in a first field of a paste buffer into a document; an automatic footnote generator that processes information in a second field of the paste buffer and automatically creates therefrom a footnote in the document that includes information from the second field, wherein the footnote comprises a footnote reference number and corresponding footnote text, wherein the footnote reference number is inserted in the document after the information in the first field that is inserted into the document, and wherein the corresponding footnote text is placed in a different location in the document; and recordable type media bearing the paste mechanism and the automatic footnote generator.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 7, 1999
September 13, 2005
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